Walking with Strangers: A Titans Story
by SonofaChild 13
Summary: Raven hasn't slept lately. Haunted by visions of her father Trigon she has been summoned by a group of heroes dedicated to destroying an ultimate evil. As Raven joins a new team one question is left. Will her replacement survive?
1. The Coming Storm

"The angels and the demons will do battle on the burning earth as the end of the world slowly falls to ash. Angels shall fight with the crest of the Titans as the demons bear the scars of the beasts, their masters leading them to eternal darkness as if it were the meaning of all joy. Blinded they are, as both sides fight to their bitter ends, yet with no success. Death shall ride on his horse and bear witness to the battle, but dare not join. In those days shall the angels seek him, and shall not find him; and they shall pray to die, but he shall flee from them. The demons shall bathe in the smoke of their torment as they ascend up forever and ever to the Promised Land; they conceive no concept of rest, be it day or night, for they worship the beasts and their image that refuse them such luxuries.

A sad, forlorn young woman falls to her knees, And upon her forehead bears a name written in the flesh, Mystery, Inferno the Great, daughter of Pain and Abominations of the world. She shall stand holding the scales of justice weighing the sins of the fallen, unbiased to the outcome as the love a mother has for one child over another. Olympus shall open its gates, and she will behold a white horse; and the man that sits upon him shall be known as Faithful and True. The ground will then split open as Malice and Agony ride a serpent to meet his enemy, his brother the horseman, as they attack to tip the scales in their favor.""

Raven's dream was always the same, the voice so vivid and the image so obscure through the eyes of the tortured soul. The child who inherited the sins of her father could not look away from the visions, no matter how hard she tried. The darkness nearly engulfed her into the void of despair which she had run from her entire life, her future and the future of this ugly yet beautiful world rested on the whisper of one word. This word though spoken by one and yet spoken only by another was either to help or haunt her for the rest of her life. The word of the highest meaning loved, hated ,and feared by all who can come close to understanding even the tiniest iota of the word which is the strongest of all spoken.

"Eternity."

As Raven spoke that word her room began to collapse in itself, the smoke from her incense and candles surrounded, encasing her in the scent of such magnificence it couldn't be described. She was both afraid and enchanted by the power taking hold of her, as it both suffocated her, and comforted her.

Raven awoke in a strange place; she stood on the stars as a cave formed around her feet. The stars merged and were then transformed into seven hooded figures sitting around a campfire. A tall, thin hooded man on the left stood up, and handed Raven a tarot card.

"Good evening magician. At last all of the cards have come together. Please, do not remove your new hood, not until you understand its meaning. Death, she is ready for the truth." He said to the center hooded figure.

"Thank you Justice. Magician, you have spoken the word, you are ready to join the deck. We are the selected few who have the required skills to stop the upcoming beasts from destroying life as we know it. The hood you are now wearing cannot be removed by anyone other than the wearer. This keeps those who wish to remain anonymous safe from team mates who would not understand them. Their names have been replaced with those of the Major Arcana to illustrate their role in saving the world from the coming onslaught. You may remove your hood if you have nothing to hide."

Raven paused and studied the group confused about what Death meant. However, she removed her hood and stood there for all to see. She spoke clearly and calmly.

"I have nothing to hide. I am Raven of Azarath, daughter of Arella and Teen Titan. I would like an explanation. The Tarot has twenty two Major Arcana, why is there only seven of you? Why am I here?"

A boy on the left of Justice stood up. He sighed as if he was frustrated with how little Raven knew. Raven had the feeling that he said this more times than he desired. The young man picked up Justice's deck of cards and threw them in the air, all but ten of the cards burst into flames. He picked up the Fool card and pointed at it as if to say that was his card.

"Man I'm tired of talking you newbies, first off, there are ten of us actually, not seven. You are the eighth. The other two we will have to rescue ourselves, they are trapped by two of the Beasts. The others will either be what we shall become or those who were wasted before us. You're here because little boy Death believes you will help stop the end of the world. He says you have great knowledge of one of the Beasts, the one known as Trigon. If you ask me, I'd say this is a load of crap. They'll say you have a choice whether or not to join or not but if you're like me then you're screwed. I was shanghaied by this bunch of radical self-righteous jerks who believe that the big bad devils are coming." Fool removed his hood uncaring about his identity and revealed himself as Red X.

Raven prepared to attack Red X but was stopped by an unknown force pulling her away. One of the figures stood up with his bow and arrow pointed at Red X.

Death stood up and removed his hood. "Hermit! Put Raven down now. Chariot, lower your weapon, Red X is all talk, no threat. I apologize Raven, but X doesn't know when to shut up. I am the one who has brought you here, I am Kid Eternity. Although X has a less then reputable history, he is not evil, just selfish. He should know by now that if we don't save the world, there won't be a thing for him to steal. However, he is the Fool so maybe if it won't sink in we'll have to bash the message in. I'm sure you already know who Chariot is at this point seeing as you have met him as well, but please do not reveal him. That choice must be his. At least you can find comfort that some of us are heroes. We need your help with Trigon and the others, will you help us?"

"Where am I? Who are you people?" Raven asked as she lowered stared in wonder at the group of strangers staring so intensely at her as if they could look inside her heart.

"You are in purgatory, a space in between spaces. It is a neutral ground that the beasts cannot yet enter. This is our base of operations. I am Tarot, otherwise known as Justice. My job is to foresee future events and select the Major Arcana." Tarot removed his hood to reveal a small young boy no older than thirteen with long dark red hair, striking green eyes and a face full of scars.

"Call me Devil, everyone else here does but I'm not so bad…despite what the doctors say, or what's left of them. I would reveal myself but the other me says that there isn't any fun in that, I love this game of twenty questions! I'm in charge of traps, explosives, you know, general feats of kickassery. I do a little home decorating on the side as well." Devil laughed hysterically as if it were unintentional but simply a nervous tic.

A small hooded girl with blond hair barely hanging out stood up and tried to speak, but her stammering was incoherent and she immediately sat down.

"That's Hanged Girl, she arrived just before you. She's wasn't this shy before you were here oddly enough. She is in charge of providing cover, creating safety barracks, and shaping the landscape to work in our favor." Tarot said as he rested his hand on Hanged Girl's shoulder comforting her.

"I'm Chariot, I'm in charge of projectile assaults, physical training of all team members, and I provide necessary equipment."

"I am Red X, or the Fool but you already know that. I'm in charge of directing stealth and reconnaissance missions, as well as planning guerilla tactics." Red X bowed to Raven as if to mock her and Devil laughed.

"Greetings sweet Raven, I am the Hermit. I am head mage, actually… now that you're here I guess I am co-head mage and I am mission leader when Kid Eternity is away. I hope we may become great friends." Hermit spoke so politely and elegantly with his British accent sounding dreamlike.

"And last but not least I am Kid Eternity. Leader of this group in charge of providing army support if the need arises. Welcome to the team. If you have any questions or concerns please let me know and we'll work something out. But first we need to know if you're with us or not. Without you we cannot hope to defeat your father or the other Beasts. " Kid Eternity said as he brushed away his light brown hair from his face and adjusted his circular "beatnik" sunglasses. He dressed more like a servant than a leader. His all white clothes and red sash reminded Raven of a waiter in a fancy restaurant.

"If you are going to defeat Trigon once and for all then I have no choice but to join you. What's our plan of action? What about the other two Arcana? Who are the other beasts other than Trigon?" Raven asked curiously as she studied her new team, unsure if they could be trusted.

"Our plan right now is to rescue the missing Arcana actually, they are known as Lover and Tower. We only know two of the beasts; the two Arcana will help us identify those who remain. The beasts that have been identified are Trigon, and the dragon Malchior." Kid Eternity looked at his team and answered Raven as he played with his sunglasses.

"What about my friends, the Teen Titans coul-"Raven was interrupted.

"Where we go, they cannot follow, for they are not of the Arcana and having them would shift to much power to one group. This would put the scenario of who is in charge, your leader Robin or Kid Eternity? In times like these we can't bicker amongst ourselves… we must only focus on the mission. Also Tarot managed to recruit you at a time that the Titans are most distracted."Hermit answered calmly.

"What's wrong with my friends? Are they in trouble?" Raven asked fearing the worst for her friends.

"They should be fine, they will have a little trouble with Slade but I predict that a wildcard shall shift the odds in their favor. Don't worry; I made sure to bring you here when they could still take care of themselves." Tarot pulled out another deck of Tarot cards from his pocket and laid them on the floor. Raven wasn't sure if he was looking into the future or playing solitaire.

"Why am I so important to you people? What's the point of the Major Arcana?" Raven asked trying not to sound to confused or frustrated.

"Those two questions are one and the same. You are important because you are a Arcana. We are a group who has been around for centuries who are selected to stop the actions of the four beasts. Every renaissance or Dark Age comes from the outcome of our mission. We are simply the next group to face the struggle. Right now if we don't hurry, I sense the destruction of this world." Tarot answered as he played with his cards.

"Why am I known as the Magician? Wouldn't Tarot or Hermit fit that category?"

"The title has nothing to do with ability. The name is a representation of your character and what part we play in this battle. Red X is the Fool because he is just starting his journey of self discovery. He is neither good nor evil yet. Chariot has up to this point lived a life of egocentrism, impulsivity, wealth, and pride. The Hanged Girl was a traitor who had tried to redeem herself through sacrifice but when she failed, she gave up. Devil lives her life purely on instinct, constantly entangled by vice and a slave to her desires. Hermit is a quiet soul searching for deeper meaning to his life and lives life through his philosophies. Kid Eternity plays the role of Death. As our leader it is up to him to end the cycle of the Beasts. I am Justice because of my intellect and my impartialness in viewing situations."

"Why am I the Magician then?"

"You are the Magician because you are practical, creative, determined, and always focused on what's important. Once you have your heart set on what you want, you will not stop until you get it. What you want coincides with what we want so that is why you are a perfect addition to our team." Hermit answered, his cold blue eyes penetrating through the hood and into Raven's heart with the deepest admiration.

"I sound like a complete jerk compared to you. You're lucky, doesn't sound like you have anything to regret." Chariot spoke bitterly stroking his fingers across his head; he forgot he could not touch his hair.

"Quit complaining Chariot. No one feels sorry for you, why do even keep your hood on anyway? Everyone knows who you are. There aren't many trick arrow using rich boys. You're such a joke. What hard life? You lived your life being trained by a legendary hero. What's the matter? Is it so hard living as a cheap imitation of Robin? Maybe those rumors in the newspaper are true, maybe you're just an addict now." Red X replied.

Chariot then struck X across the face with his bow, he put his boot to X's back and just as he was about to kick him in the stomach, two heavy muscled men appeared out of thin air and restrained him. As he struggled Red X got up and was about to hit Chariot with his bo staff but was stopped by Raven.

"Get a grip on yourself, Chariot! This isn't like you. Don't let him get to you, he does this to everyone. I'll tell those two to release you if you promise to behave. I'm not going to babysit you two!" Kid Eternity stood up strong and furious.

Chariot nodded his head signaling that he would back off and the muscle men released him.

"Eternity." Spoke Kid eternity and the men disappeared into thin air.

Devil laughed uncontrollably, this time obviously intentional. Her legs kicked in the air furiously. As she gasped for breath she failed to calm herself and she fell to the floor, apparently hyperventilating she then passed out. Tarot approached her checking her pulse. Just then, Devil sprang back up and shocked Tarot. The electricity surging through his body could be seen even from the distance Raven was standing from. She showed everyone her hand to real her joybuzzer. She then continued laughing.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself! I had to add to the chaos or I would have gone mad. He should be fine. It's mostly for show; he'll wake up in a couple of minutes. Besides that self-righteous red head had it coming for a while." Devil said laughing.

"We know it isn't fatal, you've already pulled that prank like five times already. Cut it out, I don't know how many more shocks he can take." Hanged Girl said quietly.

"Oh wow! You can talk after all! Quick Hanged Girl, do another trick. Roll over girl."

The earth shook violently, Hanged Girl panicked and collapsed hold her hands tightly to her head. Devil no longer laughed jokingly, she went back to her nervous laugh. The floor cracked slightly, and then grew deeper and wider. It he cracked lines started at Hanged Girl and ended ant Devil. Hanged Girl took a deep breath and then the earth stopped rumbling and the cracks were fixed.

"She hasn't used her powers in a long time. The nature of her abilities and her past can make things a bit…unstable. She'll get back to mastering her abilities in no time." Hermit said as he tried to calm Hanged Girl.

Raven just stared at her team dumbfounded. Was this what they really considered a team? The group of heroes destined to change the world was nothing but a group of dysfunctional children? She began to doubt that her decision to join them was a wise one but she knew that if there was a way to defeat her father, they would have the means to do so. She stared at Kid Eternity with confusion and awe. She hadn't noticed until now the glowing warm aura around him. Perhaps only she could see it, but Raven knew that there was something otherworldly around him. She had the feeling that he knew much of what happens after this life and the unseen mechanics of what reality is controlled by. She then knew that she would be safe wherever he would take her.

Kid Eternity looked at Raven and smiled. His smile was older than him; the look which had formed on his face was that of an old soul which then changed to a grin as that of a young child. He turned away and looked to the other members of his team.

"I think we have had enough action for one day. We should rest now. Raven, the girls' camp is to your left. We have a big day ahead of us and I need you all up at three o'clock sharp for morning exercise. I'll take guard duty tonight. Sweet dreams and try not kill each other." Kid Eternity sighed, and pointed Raven to the camp.

If this was the team's idea of camping, Raven was amazed. She assumed it would be a small tent because that was how it looked in the distance, but it was practically a small stone palace. The outside reminded her of a fusion of a pyramid with Celtic type knots stone carving in the bricks which were simply stacked on top of each other without the need of mortar. The roof had a small spire on top with runes etched into them which Raven could recognize a powerful defensive spells.

Inside there were three beds. Devil pointed Raven to her bed which had the title "Magician" carved on the stone wall which the bed was set against. Under her bed were books and scrolls of spells and curses as well as maps to ethereal planes. They were ancient, some of them perhaps even as old as Ancient Rome. She looked through the books with awe and wonder as magic lost over a millennia were now in reach.

"A gift from Hermit." Devil said as she jumped into her bed and set up her alarm clock which looked more like a miniature cuckoo clock with a timer on it.

Raven put her books away and went to bed. She didn't fall asleep for a while though, the day's events repeated in her head kept her awake for a few hours. As she finally rested her eyes and began to sleep she whispered quietly to herself.

"What have I gotten myself into?"

She then fell asleep and for the first time since her visions, she dreamed of peace. If she had known what was to become of her friends the Teen Titans, she may have felt differently.


	2. The Fuel Ignites

It had been three days since Raven's disappearance. When the Titans returned home after battling Dr. Light they had found Raven gone and her room trashed as if some wild animal had ransacked the place. For the three days since then, the Titans haven't dared give themselves the luxury of rest. Beast Boy failed to track her scent, Cyborg's scanners showed no sign of her, and Starfire's aerial search was fruitless. Robin knew that there was something unnatural about her disappearance.

The crime scene looked like it was trashed by a monster sure, but Robin had his doubts. He noticed that there were no signs of a struggle. If she was attacked, Raven would have called for help on her communicator. Also, there were no signs of animal or creature entering the room. There were no claw marks, no saliva residue to find, no strands of hair or skin, and no blood. All that was in the room were cracked windows, broken glass, torn books. It looked as if the place was hit with a twister and an explosion. Robin did notice something peculiar though. The room reeked of smoke and scented incense although she had been gone for so long. Perhaps it was a robbery gone wrong? He shook his head knowing that that wasn't right. The damage was too random, besides Raven's belongings are unusable to the average thief. They would likely be cursed before the thief would ever being able to use anything. There were magic books that could be quite useful but Raven kept inventory and Robin could easily tell that everything was accounted for.

"A kidnapping maybe? Possibly, but there's no ransom. It could have been done in foul play. What would be the motive though? Who would take her? Slade perhaps? The only problem with that theory is that Slade no longer works for Trigon so there would be nothing of benefit for him." Robin muttered to himself as he paced back and forth inside Raven's room.

Robin couldn't make sense of the evidence around him. Despite his highly trained detective skills he was at a loss for the reason of his friend's disappearance. He could only come up with two possible explanations. If she was kidnapped it wasn't for ransom but either for need of her or for personal reasons and was carried out by someone he never met. The other more concerning possibility was that she simply vanished. Robin desperately clung onto the first theory. At least if she was captured, there was still a chance that she could be located and a criminal could be caught. If she had vanished, the trail would be dead and he would have no way of tracking her.

Beast Boy was an absolute train wreck. Although she was often cold and antisocial, Raven was still a fellow Titan, and his friend. He blamed himself for letting Raven stay at the tower when the rest of the team went to fight Dr. Light. She said she felt sick and that she would like to stay in her room. Robin said no, believing it would be easier if she came with them. Beast Boy however convinced Robin to change his mind. After all, it was only Dr. Light the least threatening of the Titan's rogue's gallery. Beast Boy was afraid that he had lost another friend in the line of duty just like he did with Terra. Raven was another matter entirely though, she had simply vanished out of thin air. Terra was found, although the other Titans didn't believe him, when he brought them to see her again she had left the school. Raven may be a lost cause.

There was a huge explosion visible through Beast Boy's window. Beast Boy's communicator started going off. He answered the call and spoke to Robin.

"Robin, what's going on?"

"There's trouble in the city. The industrial area going up in flames! It seems that Slade's robots are behind this. However that's not the cause for the explosions."

"What do you mean? Who's causing them?"

"Some kid is attacking the robots. Apparently he's responsible. While blowing up the robots he hit a fuel line."

As the Teen Titans arrived on the scene they could see that half of the district was already a huge crater. The fumes from burning chemicals made the place nearly unbearable. Luckily the people evacuated the area and no causalities had been reported. Survivors said that some young man with messy hair and big goggles have them vacate the premises.

Boom! An explosion was seen heard coming from a Wayne Industries building. As Starfire flew Cyborg and Beast Boy flew Robin, they saw the outline of someone holding one of Slade's robot's by the neck. As he grabbed tighter the robot's head exploded. There were piles of broken enemies strewn all around him at least counting up to a hundred. Then all of the sudden, more robot's sprang from the ground and held him down.

"Titans, Go!" Robin yelled as he prepared to throw his birdarangs at the enemies.

They sprung into action; Cyborg fired his sonic cannon at enemies coming to block his way while Starfire was caught by surprise a ton of robots held her down. A huge beam of light from her destroyed her captures and she threw one's head into another's thus knocking off that head as well. Beast Boy morphed into a gorilla and slammed robot's together with his arms while tearing off appendages his feet.

Just as Robin was about to attack and save the captured man, all of the robots spontaneously exploded and he was free. He was clearly the young man who evacuated the group and caused the explosions. Every time a robot combusted, his eyes would glow while wearing his goggles to protect his eyes from the blast. His brown hair was slightly hanging in his face; he was clearly exhausted from his battle but kept fighting the Slade's minions. All of a sudden, Cinderblock crashed through the wall of the building holding stolen technology from Wayne Industries. He gently laid them down and charged at the Titans.

"Titan's look out!" Robin said while holding his ground.

"I don't have time for this crap!" The mystery boy screamed angrily as his eyes began to glow.

Cinderblock's entire torso exploded leaving only his head and shoulders still connected.

"Slade! I know you can hear me! Show yourself you coward! How much more destruction am I going to have to cause to your operations before you'll talk to me?"

Cinderblock grunted and roared in pain he seemed to be in shock that he could see parts of what was once him were now rubble littered all over the place. Cinderblock then no longer screamed but rested silently.

"Dude, you killed him! How could you do that?" Beast Boy shouted.

"Cinderblock was sentient, didn't you know that? You murdered him!" Robin yelled as he prepared to fight the killer.

"He's fine; Slade will just put him back together again. I've done this more than once already! Slade! Answer me!"

A voice muttered through a pile of broken robots. Robin located where the sound was coming from and lifted the robot's mask. Slade appeared on a small screen inside the mask.

"Greetings Titans. Long time no see." Slade calmly replied.

The kid pushed Robin out of the way and took the screen. He stared at Slade intently and so full of rage that it seemed his explosive personality may trigger soon.

"Where is she Slade? What have you done with her?"He shouted.

"My dear Impact I already told you, I don't have her anymore. She escaped, disappeared into thin air. I understand why you're so skeptical but tracking me won't get you anywhere, after all just because she lied to you about everything that doesn't mean I am now."

Thin air, Robin wondered, could this be a clue? Could Slade and this Impact person be connected to Raven's disappearance? He had to investigate, the investigation went cold so he had to try any lead he could, even if it was from Slade.

"Slade! How did she disappear? Who was she?" Robin asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know? Your guess is as good as mine as to how she vanished but her identity I will leave anonymous. Perhaps Impact will tell you about it if you ask nicely. It's a shame she disappeared, I needed her help in resolving a small family matter. Perhaps you kids would be interested?" Slade answered coolly.

"Stop messing with me! Why were you robbing Wayne Industries? What does this technology do?"

"Impact, it does what you're friend was supposed to do. This is a Tremor Reading GPS and detonating device. Once a large enough earthquake is caused, the device will scan the Earth and locate the man I'm looking for. The detonation device is a replacement trigger to activate a Seismic Bomb located on a hidden fault line located in this city. If your little girlfriend had stayed, I wouldn't have needed the bomb. Also, if you hadn't destroyed the computer data which had my blueprints to creating a smaller less destructive version of the device, all of this destruction could have been avoided. Congratulations hero."

"What are you planning to do with this Slade? What are you looking for?" Robin asked.

"It's not a question of what I'm looking for. It is a question of **who** I'm looking for. I already told you, this is a family matter. While we were having our nice little chat, a worker of mine has already stolen the parts from the area. If you really want to be heroes, I suggest you meet me at the coordinates I'm about to send to you. This destruction is unnecessary if I have access to the abilities of Starfire, Cyborg, and Impact. Meet me at the coordinates I sent you at midnight and not a moment sooner, if you're late then I will be forced to take action. If you help me, I will help you."

Slade's screen blacked out. The group couldn't even imagine what plans he had in store. Although hesitant to trust him, they had no other choice. If the Titans failed to meet his demands, the whole city would be destroyed. Also, if there was the faintest chance that Raven's disappearance had anything to do with Impact's mystery girl, they knew that they would do whatever it takes find their friend.

"I'll meet up with you guys later." Impact said as he slowly walked away.

Starfire stops him. No matter how hard he struggled he couldn't break free from the Tamaranian's grip. Then Impact was brought to Titans Tower for questioning.

"Hey let me go!"

Starfire released Impact and he sat on the couch in front of the big screen television. The Titans stared at him for a few moments without saying a word. He was covered in cuts and bruises all over his body, his clothes were torn, and the lenses in his goggles were cracked.

"You're hurt, we can help you." Cyborg said as a blue light emitted from his shoulder and scanned Impact.

Impact looked furious, his eyes glowed and Cyborg's scanner combusted spontaneously. The Titans prepared themselves for the worst. Impact simply sat where he was apparently not wishing to fight. The look in his eyes however was wild, so full of pain, confusion, and anger it was surprising that he did not shed a tear.

"I'm fine! Why did you bring me here? I gotta go meet Slade!"

"What is your problem? He was just trying to help!" Beast Boy roared.

"The only help I need from you people is to show up at midnight!"

"Please, midnight is a long ways away and Slade has said for us not to come early. Please friend, let us help you, you're hurt." Starfire replied.

"It's a miracle you aren't passed out already. The pain probably would have put me out." Robin said calmly as he attempted to gain Impact's trust.

"I feel no pain."

"Dude what do mean you feel no pain? Are you indestructible or something?" Beast Boy asked curiously.

"No, just because I can't feel pain it doesn't mean it is a super power. I have a congenital insensitivity to pain." Impact muttered.

"Does anyone have any idea what he just said?" Beast Boy asked with a confused look on his face.

"That means that his body cannot react to stimuli which cause him pain. He literally cannot perceive or feel pain. But just because you can't feel your injuries doesn't mean that you don't need medical attention. Do you have Hansen's disease? That's a common cause." Robin replied as he patched him up with a First Aid Kit.

"Do I look like I have leprosy to you? No, it's a neural condition, not from the destruction of my body's nerves caused from disease. My level of endorphins negates pain. Another side effect of my condition is my inability to create tears or activate my sweat glands, I don't cry. " Impact answered with a sad look on his face.

"You can't even shed one tear? Man, that's just freaky, I've never heard of such a thing." Cyborg replied.

"How appropriate, freaky conditions for a freak like me. If you want to be technical, I have a congenital insensitivity to pain with the addition of anhidrosis. The only way to get it is to be born with it. It is literally a one in a billion chance for someone to have it. Lucky me. Luckily because I can't feel my physical limits it takes longer for me to tire. Unfortunately, I don't know when to quit. Can we talk about something else?"

"Who are you looking for? What do you have to do with Slade?"Asked Starfire.

"I have nothing to do with Slade. He kidnapped my friend. I'm just here to get her back. If Slade's telling the truth and she's really gone then I don't know where to go from there."

"Do you have any idea why he would have captured her?" Robin asked.

"No and it doesn't matter to me. According to what Slade said she was taken because she could activate some machine. I don't know any more than that."

"If we're going to save the city and find your friend, we are going to have to work together. I'd like you to have this." Robin said to Impact as he handed him a Titans communicator.

"Uh Rob? Can I talk to you for a minute…away from you-know-who?"Beast Boy asked trying to be as inconspicuous as possible but failing miserably.

The Titans huddled together away from Impact and began whispering to each other. Beast Boy turned his shoulder to make sure that Impact wasn't listening. After making sure that they were out of ear shot, they spoke.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? This guy is nuts! The dude destroyed Cinderblock! That's not a very heroic thing to do. "Beast Boy said worried.

"Yeah the kid is obviously unstable; whenever he gets angry he blows stuff up!" Cyborg added.

"I too am also concerned, his condition is most troubling. He doesn't know his limits he said so himself." Starfire replied.

"I know he's not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Teen Titan recruits but we need him. His power is impressive, we're after the same goals, and also because he's so dangerous we have to keep an eye on him. It's better if he is with us than against us. Besides, he's not a bad person he's just upset." Robin answered.

The others agreed. They needed him right now. Although they knew little about him, with Raven missing they needed someone to help with the search. They walked back up to Impact with fake wide smiles.

"Welcome to the team." Cyborg said with his hand stretched out expecting Impact to shake it.

"Spare me the charity act. We both know that this is just a temporary thing. Once this is over I'm done with this adventure stuff. The hero biz just isn't for me. Where's that dark haired girl that I see you guys when you're on TV?" Impact asked as he walked away ignoring Cyborg.

"She's gone." Robin answered.

"Where to?" asked Impact.

"We don't know." Beast Boy said with his pointed ears sagging low in his sadness.

The Titans including their new member then sat silent waiting for the hours to go by until it was time to go.

What was Slade's "family matter"? Who was Impact looking for? What had become of Raven? How could they replace their friend?

None of them knew the answers, all they could do was watch the clock tick by and hope that the answers would come along with their biggest enemy.


	3. You're My Temptation

Raven woke just about a few hours before three. Everyone else was still in bed it seemed, Kid Eternity was supposed to be on guard but she couldn't see him anywhere. As she walked to the training grounds, she spied Hermit meditating. He was muttering some incantation which Raven couldn't hear or understand; she crept closer to him trying to listen. The magic around him was ancient, she could tell from his aura that this was a technique long forgotten.

The energy was green at first, shaped as a butterfly. Raven had never seen a spirit form such as that before, insect spirit animals were rare to come by. The butterfly turned to a dismal gray as it flew into Hermit's hood. After awhile three rings of green and gray smoke spewed from his mouth. Did he eat his own spirit manifest? Raven couldn't understand how or why such a spell would exist. Raven could feel an increase of static in the air; she could feel a powerful surge of dark magic emanating around Hermit. However the magic didn't match Hermit's, not exactly. Though its energy was similar to his it was much more powerful, and much more corrupt. Raven suddenly noticed the ancient runes at is feet lighting up and flickering as does the ember on a candle dances.

"Contego meus eyes ut Ineo bestia of meus senior!" He whispered as a glowing purple circle surrounded him.

In the center of the circle he sat on top of a symbol that resembled an eye. A thick fog surrounded Hermit which vanished as it gave way to a blinding white light which Raven had to shield herself from. As the light faded away he placed his feet on the earth and clasped his hands together. He fell on his knees as if he was about to pray.

"Negotium est perfectus." He muttered as the spell vanished and his feet once again touched the ground.

"How long were you watching?" Hermit asked without turning his head to see who was spying on him. He picked up his runes and hid them away in his cloak.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. " Raven said shyly.

"It's alright, just don't sneak up on me, it's unsettling. I didn't think anyone would be up this early."

"Neither did I, why are you up at this hour?"

"I took Eternity's guard duty; I figured he could use a break. He works himself to hard."

"What was that spell you were using? I've never seen anything like it before." Raven asked fascinated about Hermit's magic.

"I'm not surprised you've never seen it before, it's a very old spell. It lets me spy on my enemies. I enter into their consciousness and extract information."

"There's got to be a downside to something so powerful. What was that darkness surrounding you?"

"The darkness was the influence of the one I was spying on. I overstayed my welcome inside him and he was beginning to fight back and look into me. If he were to gaze deep enough, he could take my spirit."

"Is it really worth the risk?"

"My own wellbeing must not come before the lives of others. The results are needed if we are to locate the missing Arcana. I looked into the mind of Malchior. "

"Malchior? You could handle Malchior with that spell? When I fought him none of my spells worked. How could you mange to?"

"He and I have a special bond. But that is unimportant, with his knowledge I managed to find our friend Tower. Though he is not with Malchior, he has seen him. We must wake the others and come up with a plan."

Morning training was postponed, the group gathered around Hermit waiting for his news on Tower.

"What have you learned of our friend? Did you find him?" Tarot asked as he brushed his red hair out of his face.

"He's with Neron just as we expected. He's in the highest spire of the sixth underworld. Hell map two B should be the map to use." Hermit answered reluctantly.

"Shit, he's not taking any chances with him. X, do you think you break in?" Eternity asked as he adjusted his glasses.

"Are you kidding? The spire is child's play but Neron's forces would rip me to shreds. If I try to sneak in they'll know I'm coming before we could even hope to find our horned pal. There's only two ways in the spire, the front gate or through the roof. I've checked the map, the windows are impenetrable to physical attack, and it could only be manipulated through magic. If I go alone I'm toast. "Red X replied.

"You don't have to; Raven and Tarot will accompany you on your way through the tower. Hermit and I will distract the demons by faking a head on assault which they will try to prevent. This will provide little resistance when you're inside. As the enemy runs to engage us Devil will activate explosives and other traps to incapacitate the main assault."

"Tarot is on my team, really? Raven is actually worth having; she can do some damage and look through walls but Tarot? The runt can barely stand on his two legs in a fight. Perhaps Chariot or Hanged Girl would be better?"

"Don't interrupt me X. I can't trust you and Chariot together with this kind of operation. Chariot and Hanged girl have their own assignment. Hanged Girl will create an elevated fortress where she and Chariot will attack from a higher ground which will give our distraction protection and believability. Tarot has to be on your team because although he doesn't pack the biggest punch he is fast, he can sense people's powers which will help locate our target and his psychic skills should warn you of any danger." Kid Eternity answered.

"Who's Neron?" Hanged Girl asked quietly.

"Raven, have you ever heard of Neron the Tempter?" Hermit asked.

"Legends mostly. I can't imagine any magic user who has not been told stories of his deceit."

"Neron is a demon and one of the four beasts just like Trigon. Instead of being a destroyer of worlds, he is a liar and a con artist who gives people power beyond their wildest dreams. However there is a price, he has you sign a contract, your wish for your soul. The deal you make with him tends to backfire resulting in loss of the given power, forced servitude, or death. His main goals tend to be collecting souls and harnessing their power so he can conquer the universe and force his way back to his Overworld." Hermit answered fearfully.

"Overworld? What's that?" Chariot asked.

"It's another term for Heaven. Since many evil and pure entities claim to either be Gods or Devils, the term Underworld and Overworld are used. Since we cannot be sure which Heaven is the real one or which Hell is the real resting place for the damned, we use those terms. Neron was banished from his Overworld for attempting a coup and overthrowing his lord. He's wanted revenge ever since." Kid Eternity answered.

"What does Neron have to do with Tower?" Raven asked puzzled.

"Tower is there because he's more of a Devil then I could ever hope to be!" Devil answered laughing.

"Tower had a contract with Neron which backfired. He broke the terms of their agreement so he has been imprisoned as consequence. We have to bust him out, he's not only a decent fighter but he has inside knowledge of Neron." Eternity said as he motioned everyone to come closer.

"Raven, take us there."

"I don't know how."She answered.

"Oh right sorry, first I need to give you a copy of the Underworld map two B edition. If you can't see where the place is I can't expect this to work. Meditate and focus on reaching the spire. Tarot will then place his hand on your shoulder telepathically linking you to the area. This will then activate a portal to our destination." Hermit said to Raven as he handed her the map.

"Are you sure I should be the one doing this? Perhaps Hermit would be better?"

"It will be easier for you. When you were born, you were made specifically to be a living portal to be used by your father. With this natural ability you are the better choice. It is very strenuous for Hermit and you wouldn't tire at all." Tarot replied as he put his hand on Raven's shoulder.

When the team arrived at Neron's underworld, they were welcomed by the sound of torturous screams of the trapped souls of the Tempter. The air was warm and carried the smell of blood as it tore through the empty valley. The sky was red and the clouds were jet black, the spire was visible just over the horizon. The spire was a dark dilapidated structure; the windows were stained glass like that of a church though the pictures depicted were not messages of faith. The pictures were that of demons attacking children, seducing women, and men bowing to them.

Raven, Red X, and Tarot split up from the rest of the group and headed towards the rear of the structure. Raven grabbed them both by the hand and flew up to a window.

They waited for the sign to begin the mission. They heard a loud explosion from the front and knew that Kid Eternity and the others had engaged their enemy.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven shouted.

The window broke and they ran inside. They could hear the battle going on outside. To Raven it sounded more like a war then a distraction. The spire was practically empty, Tarot led the way down the lifeless corridors and spiraling granite staircases towards Tower. They had reached about a third of the way there before finally meeting resistance.

"Mortals inside the spire! Kill them!" shouted a pig-faced demon dwarf.

The demons charged towards Raven and her friends. Tarot just narrowly dodged a fire breath from an enemy he ducked and kicked him in the stomach then kicked his ankles. He was now on the floor. Tarot then ran up on the wall and jumped on top of a monster. As the creature struggled to break free he started punching holes in the walls with his great strength. Instead however Tarot's opponent while in his frenzy destroyed about twenty of his own teammates. Tarot then leapt off from his elephantine adversary and Red X placed an X on his chest. The X began to light up and detonated causing an explosion which took out about a dozen demons including the big brute. Then Red X threw nine red shurikens which all took off the heads of revolting enemies. As all the bodies hit the floor, they turned to dust.

Raven was hesitating in battle no matter what she did she was getting hit at all sides by demons. Her teammates were busy fighting their own creatures and couldn't help her in any way. Raven was holding back, no matter who her enemy was, she would not take their life.

"What are you standing around for? We aren't going anywhere if these freaks aren't taken care of!" Red X shouted.

"I can't do it. I can't kill them!" Raven shouted as she struggled so hard to resist the demons not only outside herself, but inside her as well.

She could feel the frustration taking over slowly turning into anger. She felt the white hot rage taking over her body. She told herself to resist, she told herself to fight back, but no matter what she told herself to stop the transformation nothing succeeded. No matter what her morals were, the hatred for her father, or the love of her friends could turn her back to the light. Deep in her heart, she knew what she really wanted. No matter what she told herself, lies could not restrain her from her desires. She wanted to let go of everything, she wanted the burden of self-control to disappear. She heard a voice echoing in her head.

"It's alright child, let go. I'm here to make things all better. You don't need to continue this way, become who you were always meant to be. Do not resist your nature, embrace it and you will be complete. What's the harm in killing these creatures? If they are evil, destroy them. After all, isn't destroying evil your mission, isn't this why you're a Titan, isn't that why you are here right now? It's alright to let go every once in a little while. Besides what have they ever done which actually benefitted humanity, or better yet you? Accept me and I will give you power beyond your imagination, I will erase your pain, I will control the power for you and you will never have to regret anything ever again. Join me and I will free you from your father. You are not killing anyone, trust me!"

"Raven it's a trick don't listen to him! Don't you see what is happening? This tempter is Neron! He's the one amplifying your anger, your emotions are mere puppets and he is pulling the strings. If you allow him to take over your soul you will be lost forever. You're powers are not what makes you a hero don't you understand? It's your discipline, your will, and your determination which makes you powerful. If you accept Neron he will take all that makes you who you are away from you. He cannot free you, he can only enslave you. He cannot remove your father's will from your soul, only you can do so. You do not need to be bound by the sins of your father. Take my hand I'll get you back to us!" Tarot appeared inside her conscious.

"You insolent dog! How dare you interrupt us! Raven, don't you see what he is doing? He's trying to confuse you. He is Neron not I. He knows that if you deny me you will never be powerful enough to defeat him. I am not evil, I am you. I am simply another part of your psyche who is powerful enough to save you from yourself. Do not deny this part of you or you will fall into oblivion! This is your choice not his!" Said the first voice now transforming into an image of Raven. "Take my hand!"

Raven could not decide what was right and what was a lie. She listened to her heart; she thought of her wants and needs to be happy. After a slight pause, she reached out for the hand of the other Raven. Then all of a sudden, there was a flash of light and out of the darkness appeared a woman in a magnificent white robe which stopped her from taking the hand. She lifted her hood and revealed to Raven a face of wisdom and beauty.

"Mother? Is that you? You're alive?" Raven whispered out of both shock and relief.

Raven began to feel the tears trickling down her face. Her heart skipped the beat as her beautiful mother wiped away her tears and placed her hand on Raven's shoulder to comfort her. Her mother didn't say a word but when asked if she was alive a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"Mother, I'm scared. I don't know what to do. I don't know what I should be doing with my life. Mother please, speak to me, I can't do this on my own! I need to know what's right. Show me what to do I beg you!" Raven shouted.

Raven's mother would not speak. She knelt beside her daughter and pressed her finger to her lips asking her child to contain herself. She reached out her hand to her Raven who immediately took her hand. Raven was regaining consciousness. As reality was pulling her back to the spire, her image of Tarot smiled and waved and then faded away. Raven looked at her mother as her mother stared back at her. There was no need for words, they both knew what the other was feeling. The feeling is the same for all mothers and their children. Her mother then kissed Raven on the cheek, smiled, and returned to the light.

"No! Damn you Arella!" Neron screamed as his form returned to his own and not of Raven's.

Raven tried to make out Neron's features but as soon as he reverted to his true form be bursted into flames and was no more.

When Raven awoke, Tarot was smiling. "Welcome back."

"What was that?" Raven asked confused and relieved that she was now back with her teammates.

"As we were fighting we stumbled into one of Neron's Halls of Temptations. As you can see it is very dangerous but you fought you're insecurities and returned to us!" Tarot answered with a big grin on his face.

"We were all victims to this attack. We had to make a choice whether to accept Neron or deny him. He is quite the bargain maker but I had to say decline the offer." Red X said to Raven.

"What did he offer you?" Raven asked curiously.

"I would tell you, but I'm far too much of a gentleman to discuss such a "private matter" with a girl." Red X said as he looked out the window to see the ensuing battle outside.

"That's probably for the best." Raven replied trying to get the image of Red X's possible fantasy out of her mind. "How did you escape?"

"Simple little lady, I follow my own rules and no one else's. I am my own man getting what I want my own way." Red X answered.

"Yeah right tough guy. I had to drop in inside your mind to pull you out. Don't try to make yourself cool." Tarot said laughing at Red X.

"Shut up red-head."

"Thanks Tarot, for helping me." Raven said softly.

"You're welcome but I hardly did anything at all. I only tried to push you towards the right direction. Neron was dead set on claiming your soul in the end only you could resist him."

"I wasn't alone though really. If my mother hadn't showed up as soon as she had, I'd be gone now."

"What are you talking about Raven? What mother? There was just me, Neron, and you. You resisted Neron's contract yourself." Tarot replied confusedly.

"That joke isn't funny. She was there, I took her hand and she saved me from Neron." Raven answered.

"There wasn't anyone else around Raven. There was no mother it was all you! You resisted Neron on your own and burned him with your light. I've never seen such beautiful magic in my life. It was amazing, you were amazing."

"I know what I saw! My mom saved me! She was there, maybe you didn't see her but you must have heard Neron mention her. She called her Arella." Raven answered frustrated at Tarot.

"All Neron said was "Damn you." Nothing else. You were the one who said Arella. It wasn't your mother, it was all you." Tarot calmly replied.

Raven was speechless. What was Tarot talking about? Her mother was right there. She held her hand, she hugged her, she kissed her. How could she not have been there? Was Tarot that clueless? Raven knew her mother saved her life.

"Let's just get going. The longer we just stand here the easier it will be to tempted again. Oh and by the way Raven, we weren't killing anyone. The demons are just the conquered souls of Neron. Once we defeat them, their souls return back to their original bodies and are purified. We were saving them." Red X said.

"He's right Raven, Neron tried to trick you into sacrificing your conscience so you could kill what was never living. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." Tarot said.

"Let's just get out of here and find Tower." Raven said trying to hide her embarrassment.

Raven, Red X, and Tarot then left the hall. They ran through what seemed like hundreds of corridors and stairways as they ran to help Tower. Wave after wave of enemy, they grew tired and weary of the Arcana's fate.

"Are you sure we are going the right way Tarot? You haven't looked at the map since we got here." Raven said.

"Trust me Raven, Tarot doesn't need a map. His abilities let him see where to go."Red X explained.

Tarot led them to a room full of papers framed to the wall. The room contained only a small portion of the contracts Neron has made. Tarot walked to the right corner of the room and removed a contract from its frame.

"This is the contract Tower made with Neron. If we can find a loophole in this document we can cancel out the agreement and we can get Tower out of here." Tarot explained.

"And if we don't find a way to cancel the contract?" Red X asked.

"Then we go home empty-handed and his soul will be lost forever. We can't let that happen!" Tarot replied.

Raven and the others rushed to find Tower. After hours of searching, they arrived to a huge door which had a name etched into it which read: "E. Bloomberg."

"This is it. We can't open the door without a key and the door will be indestructible so we have to find another way through." Tarot replied.

"Leave it to me." Shouted Raven. The door turned black with Raven's magic and she walked through the door. Once on the other side of the door, she then opened it from the inside.

Raven couldn't believe her eyes. Inside the room the air reeked of smoke and brimstone, the heat was next to unbearable as she and the others walked towards the end of the room. Raven couldn't see anything; the smoke blinded her as Tarot took her hand and led her to a cage with a silhouette inside it. Winged horned devils prodded the prisoner with spears which tore away at his flesh. When he yelled in agony, fire shot through the cage but to no effect. The devils than laughed gleefully as they tore off what Raven thought was the prisoner's tail.

Red X jumped in front of one of the devils disarmed him and used the devil's own spear to kill him and the other devil. The smoke then cleared and Raven could now see the prisoner. Could she really have gone to this horrible place to save Him? Was she betrayed by her teammates to rescue the very being she hated the most?

"Trigon!"Raven yelled and charged at the man in the cage. As Red X tried to prevent Raven from going any further, she knocked him back with her powers and continued her war path. Just when she was about to strike however, she paused. This wasn't Trigon. Sure he resembled her father, but he wasn't him, he was Tower. Tower's wounds began to automatically heal and his tail grew back. It was understandable why Raven made such a mistake, his hair was white, his skin was, his breath was fire, and he had horns.

"Trigon again? I get that way too often. Does no one know who I am? Come on people I'm famous! Besides use your eyes, I only have two of them and not four. Also I got a nice tail. See these arms? Yeah underneath them are batwings so I can glide. And my horns are way cooler than Trigon's, besides I'm so much hotter than him! " Tower said.

Raven opened his cage and he sprang out with a huge glowing smile on his face and kissed Raven right on the lips. He then jumped away from Raven as she tried to use her powers to throw the cage at him. He avoided Raven's attack easily.

"Oh come on babe you can't say it was that bad. Besides I was just thanking you. Do you have any idea how long I've been stuck here? My ass is so numb from being trapped in that cage is almost as bad as the torture…almost. Besides, you can't resist me… I'm practically an incubus when it comes to women. Chicks totally dig the tail." Tower said happily with a devilish grin.

"Great…my first kiss. Now if you don't mind I'm going to go kill myself before your brimstone breath sets in. Who are you anyway?" Raven asked curious about this red-skinned hellraiser.

"Call me Kid Devil. But you must know me right? Come on, I'm Blue Devil's sidekick." Kid Devil answered.

"I thought Blue devil was a sidekick." Raven responded.

Kid Devil obviously ignored Raven's comment and turned to Tarot and Red X.

"It's about time you guys showed up! Do you know how long I've been trapped here? No seriously… how long was I trapped here? What took you guys so long?" asked Kid Devil as playfully shook Tarot and Red X. Despite being trapped for so long, he was just glad to be back with his friends.

"We hit a snag when we tried to rescue you last time. Lover was captured and we still can't find him. We had to recruit new members so we could rescue you guys."Tarot replied.

"I'm afraid I must cut short this little reunion. You three have invaded my land, trespassed on private property, stolen my contract and are now trying to take what is rightfully mine. Unless you are all going to accept my propositions, I insist you must leave." Neron said as he entered the room.

For being a head demon like Trigon, Neron seemed to be one of the most handsome of the Four Beasts that Raven had encountered. His flowing blonde hair, his perfect crystal blue eyes, and his chiseled jaw were captivating. His perfectly sculpted muscular body seemed more divine than demonic in form. His velvet green cape dragged across the floor as he floated towards her and the others. His all white ensemble only made Neron seem more angelic than corrupt. But Raven knew the truth, this was no angel, this was a tempter, someone so evil she almost lost her soul to.

"Neron, I am taking Kid Devil because have failed in your contract." Tarot said looking coldly into Neron's eyes.

"Really? Can you prove this bold claim?" Neron retorted with a smile.

"No, I cannot. But I know someone who can. Call off your guards outside and I will bring him here."

"And why would I do that child? No witnesses and no evidence means I can keep Kid Devil. Give me one reason why I shouldn't just throw him back in the cage and kill you all where you stand!"

"Because, if I am wrong I will give you my soul as a reward."

Neron laughed, "Sorry kid, no dice. As tempting as that sounds, one soul isn't necessarily equal to another. I will not gamble away my prize just get you if I win. However, if Raven was to be my prize then I may reconsider."

"No deal Neron. It's my soul or nothing, why would you not want mine? Think about it, if I'm at your side with my ability to see the future can be quite useful. Besides, why would you need Raven anyway?" Tarot said.

"Your soul is too pure for me touch Tarot. Raven has the corruption of her father so I may take her. Though normally I wouldn't want something so evil, my control over Raven would ensure that I can take Trigon's power. I do not need your ability to see the future because I am omniscient. It's either her soul or nothing at all." Neron explained.

"Alright then, I'll do it." Raven said as she walked up to Neron.

"Excellent, than we have a deal." Neron said smiling.

"But on one condition. If we succeed in negating Kid devil's contract then not only will we be released but we will take your soul as well." Raven shouted.

"I'm afraid I cannot accept that deal. You see, I have no soul to sell. If you want Kid Devil, then you must only take him and nothing else."

Raven nodded her head in agreement. The deal was made and Kid Eternity, Devil, Hanged Girl, Chariot, and Hermit arrived to look at Kid Devil's contract. After a few hours of studying the document the group finally came to a conclusion. The contract was flawless; Kid Devil would be forced to remain in the spire with Neron forever. Not only that, but Raven was now doomed to be a slave as well… unless….

Kid Eternity stood up to speak. "If we can prove that you didn't give Kid Devil his powers then you'd have to give him back. Hermit shall use his magic to determine if you were the one who really gave him his abilities. The air will spark green for yes and shall spark red for no."

Hermit placed his hand on Kid Devil's fore head. As he did so red sparks shot into the sky, Neron did not grant the boy his powers.

"I sense that although you may have activated his power Neron you were not the one who gave it to him. His body was born with this ability. He has a metagene. Though it remained dormant until you activated it, you gave him nothing." Hermit exclaimed proudly.

"You hear that Neron? We know the truth; all you did was flip the on-switch. Now give us back Raven and Kid Devil." Kid Eternity said defiantly.

Furious, Neron charged at Kid Devil but as he was just about to grab him, Neron's hand bursted into flames. He cried out in pain as Raven and the team ran away from Neron and teleported back to their camp.

When the group arrived they celebrated their victory. Everyone one hugged Kid Devil and praised Hermit as they all ate around the campfire. Laughter was everywhere, even Hermit and Hanged Girl chuckled. Kid Eternity and Raven sat alone with each other and spoke in private about the day's events.

"How did you know that Kid Devil was born with superpowers?" Raven asked curiously.

"I will tell you as long as you promise not to get mad at me." Kid Eternity replied

"You saved my soul, why would I be angry with you? Just tell me."

"Alright then you asked for it. I bluffed; honestly I had no idea about the origin of Kid Devil's powers. The only reason I wanted to disprove that Neron gave it to him was because it was the only way to free him. If I was wrong, then you would be gone." explained Kid Eternity.

"Great, so all it came down to was dumb luck. I feel soooo special." Raven said sarcastically.

As the crowd grew quiet, Devil, not Kid Devil stood up and laughed.

"I really wanted to keep my identity a secret for a little longer but now that Kid Devil is around I have no choice but to reveal myself to avoid confusion." Devil said.

Devil removed her hood to reveal a green-haired girl whose skin was painted white. Her clothes were black leather with a flower corsage, and a multicolored, multi-patterned undershirt. She wore heavy eye liner with some ruby red lipstick which seemed to increase the size of her smile.

As Devil giggled, she shouted "You can call me the Joker's Daughter!"

The group grew silent. Raven was lost for words. Raven hoped that her friends had not had such a strange day as she had.


End file.
